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Why did Batya stretch her hand toward Moshe's basket 120 feet away—and why did Hashem (ה׳) perform the miracle of lengthening her arm? The shiur develops a yesod from Rashi (רש"י) in Vayigash that Yaakov blessed Pharaoh with control over the Nile's inundation, granting him sovereign power over Egypt's economy. Batya, as Pharaoh's daughter, believed she too possessed this authority and could summon the basket. Hashem performed the open miracle to demonstrate that He—not human power—was orchestrating Moshe's salvation.
The shiur analyzes the enigmatic miracle recorded in Parshas Shemos where Batya (Pharaoh's daughter) stretches her hand toward Moshe's basket and her arm miraculously extends many amos to reach it. The fundamental question Rabbi Zweig poses is: why would an intelligent person stretch their hand toward an object 120 feet away when practical alternatives existed—sending a servant, taking a boat, or swimming? This question becomes the gateway to uncovering a profound insight about divine providence and human power. Rabbi Zweig brings a crucial Rashi (רש"י) from Parshas Vayigash that provides the key to understanding this miracle. When Yaakov meets Pharaoh, he gives him a blessing upon greeting and another blessing upon leaving. Rashi explains that the blessing was "she'ya'aleh Nilus leraglav"—that the Nile would rise at his feet. Prior to Yaakov's blessing, the Nile's overflow was part of the natural order established at creation (the river is called "Pishon" in Bereishis, meaning "to overflow"). However, from Yaakov's blessing forward, Pharaoh gained supernatural control over the Nile's inundation. Rashi states explicitly: "Haya Pharaoh ba el ha'Nilus, v'hu oleh likraso"—Pharaoh would come to the Nile and it would rise to meet him at his command.
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Why does the Midrash connect Pharaoh's expulsion of the Jews to the mitzvah of shiluach hakan? The shiur develops a chiddush that Pharaoh's sin wasn't only drowning the children, but the insensitivity of expelling the parents afterward. The deeper analysis reveals that Pharaoh may have valued the Jews greatly and wanted to control them—making his expulsion an act of tremendous cruelty, not liberation.
Why does Moshe respond to the splitting of the sea with shirah rather than praise or thanksgiving? Rashi's use of "al libo" reveals that shirah is an emotional expression—a response of love to love. When Hashem shows personal care, the only adequate response is "I love You too," not mere gratitude or praise, and this principle applies to all relationships.
Shemos 2:5, Bereishis 47:10
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